High school students across Minnesota are planning to participate in a 17-minute walk out on March 14, 2018.
The walkouts are veiled as an innocent way to show support for the victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, one minute out of class for each person killed. So far no consequences have been issued for students walking out of schools and students have even received praise from DFL politicians.
Last Wednesday, February 21, students from Minneapolis high schools spent their afternoons marching to Minneapolis City Hall in protest of gun violence. Along the way, they shouted chants like: “NRA, Go Away!” and “What do we want? Gun Control. When do we want it? Now”.
The Minneapolis city council praised the students and passed an motion in support for a statewide ban on “assault weapons”. The city has already passed an resolution opposing concealed carry reciprocity laws in November 2017, a blatant disregard of our Second Amendment.
The March 14th walkout is being organized by the Women’s March youth group called Women’s March Youth EMPOWER, with a raised fist replacing the “O” in EMPOWER.
According to the Women’s March website:
“We are living in an age where young people like us do not feel safe in our schools. This issue is personal for all of us, especially for those of us who are survivors of gun violence. We are walking out for ALL people who have experienced gun violence, including systemic forms of gun violence that disproportionately impact teens in Black and Brown communities. It is important that when we refer to gun violence, we do not overlook the impact of police brutality and militarized policing, or see police in schools as a solution. We also recognize the United States has exported gun violence through imperialist foreign policy to destabilize other nations. We raise our voices for action against all these forms of gun violence”.
The Women’s March is a left-wing activist group that has Linda Sarsour, who has been accused of anti-semitism, as a leader of the movement.
Olivia Anderson-Blythe
Olivia Anderson-Blythe is an enthusiastic young journalist who has never been afraid to stand up for the truth. She is a Political Science and History major.